Paratroopers from B Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, jumped onto the Swedish island of Gotland after taking off from RAF Brize Norton in two A400M transport aircraft, according to a press release.
Once on the ground the soldiers secured a roadway as a temporary landing zone, enabling Dutch and US C-130s to deliver extra troops, vehicles and equipment and demonstrating the speed with which airborne forces can seize and expand a foothold.
Two artillery systems followed by air: a British Multiple Launch Rocket System from 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery and a US Marine Corps High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. The launchers fired guided missiles at targets more than 70 km away before redeploying to further training in Finland and Norway.
Lieutenant Colonel Chris Hitchins, commanding officer of 2 PARA, said in the update that the 24-hour mission showed how airborne troops can “seize the initiative, and then work with other capabilities to enable a much bigger effect.” He noted that the jump was “an important milestone” because it was the first time paratroopers had used an RAF A400M to project forces directly from the United Kingdom into an overseas tactical exercise. It was also the first occasion on which an MLRS had fired in Sweden alongside HIMARS.
Before moving to Sweden the company trained in Norway with the US 82nd Airborne Division, reinforcing an airfield captured by American paratroopers and then flying back to reset for the Gotland jump. Both phases formed part of Exercise Swift Response, one of several NATO activities under Operation Razoredge that are placing 16,500 allied personnel and about 6,000 UK troops across Northern Europe this spring.
Corporal Kieran Daniels said the multinational sequence was a valuable test of adaptability. “You get to see how other countries’ armies work and understand their capabilities and test your own skills in different environments,” he explained, adding that the professionalism demanded of The Parachute Regiment gives its soldiers “an edge” on operations.
Exercise Swift Response, led by US Army Europe and Africa, involves five coordinated airborne operations in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. The British component, 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, has taken part every year since 2015, providing the Army’s high-readiness global response force.
It’s certainly “hotting up” in Scandinavia lately, looks like Greta was right.
“This is wrong, I shouldn’t be here, I should be back at school”. Young people these days, what are they like ?
Excellent Trg initiatives for a salient, long haul EX. Great planning putting that EX together..loads of interesting logistical facets in getting rapid deployment of 2 Para and teeth-arm assets to the DZ. And then.. the recovery phase at ENDEX. Lessons Identified
I remember when an entire battalion entered Jordan.
Allegedly. I read it in the Sun.
So in comes the UK C130’s to the rescue! Oh I forgot we sold ours to make ends meet. So sad to sell perfectly good C130’s. So in fact our guys would have been on a one way ticket unless they could hitch a lift out when it all goes wrong.